Over 1,000 nests of Leatherback turtles recorded

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands host a globally significant nesting population of vulnerable leatherback turtles, supporting over 1,000 nests annually, according to a recent report by Dakshin Foundation.

- Jayashree Nandi

NEW DELHI: While records of leatherback turtles existed on mainland India in early 1900s, their nesting population is now entirely restricted to these islands.

The report, "Monitoring Sea Turtles in India 2008-2024", highlights that these islands, along with one site in Sri Lanka, are the only locations with significant leatherback nesting between Southeast Asia and South Africa.

"The population appears to be stable, with some inter-annual variation. It remains the most significant population of nesting leatherbacks in the northern Indian Ocean," the report states. While the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) categorises leatherbacks as "vulnerable" globally, many sub-populations are "critically endangered".